ELECTION MONITORING REPORT 2024
The 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections in North Macedonia were conducted in a generally peaceful, competitive, and procedurally sound environment, allowing citizens to exercise their right to vote freely. At the same time, the electoral process unfolded amid significant operational challenges, information disorder, and intensified foreign influence, exposing persistent vulnerabilities in democratic resilience.
This report presents CIVIL – Center for Freedom’s comprehensive assessment of the entire electoral cycle, covering the first round of the presidential election on 24 April 2024 and the parliamentary elections held concurrently with the presidential runoff on 8 May 2024. Based on long-term and short-term observation, including the deployment of 80 accredited observers nationwide, the report examines election administration, procedural integrity, the media and information environment, and the broader political context shaping voter choice.
While CIVIL found no evidence of systemic fraud or manipulation affecting election outcomes, the elections were marked by recurrent procedural shortcomings, widespread violations of election silence, uneven election board conduct, and a pronounced presence of Russian-aligned disinformation and hybrid narratives. These factors did not overturn electoral results, but they weakened the quality of democratic competition and highlighted the urgent need for structural reforms, stronger counter-disinformation measures, and clearer political accountability.
1. Introduction and Mandate
The 2024 electoral cycle in the Republic of North Macedonia comprised two key stages: the first round of the presidential elections on 24 April 2024, followed by parliamentary elections held concurrently with the presidential runoff on 8 May 2024.
CIVIL – Center for Freedom conducted long-term and short-term election observation, deploying 80 accredited observers across the country. The observation mission assessed all phases of the electoral process, with particular attention to the freedom to vote, procedural compliance, media and information environment, political financing, disinformation, and overall respect for democratic standards.
CIVIL’s observation was carried out in accordance with international principles for citizen election observation and aimed to provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of the integrity of the electoral process.
2. Electoral Framework and Pre-Election Environment
The elections were conducted under the Electoral Code of North Macedonia and relevant national legislation. CIVIL, in line with assessments by international observers, noted that the legal framework provides a formal basis for democratic elections, enabling pluralistic competition and the exercise of fundamental political rights.
However, certain gaps and ambiguities persist, particularly concerning campaign regulations, oversight mechanisms, and media access rules, which may affect legal certainty and consistent enforcement. These shortcomings were also highlighted in international observation findings, including assessments published by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
3. Presidential Elections — First Round (24 April 2024)
The first round of the presidential elections was characterized by a peaceful election day and a competitive electoral contest. Political actors were able to campaign freely, and the media operated without overt restrictions. State institutions largely facilitated the proper exercise of voting rights, and a relatively high voter turnout was documented across most observed regions.
Overall, the first round reflected a functioning electoral process, albeit with identifiable procedural and administrative challenges. (CIVIL Today)
3.1 Observation Findings
CIVIL’s observers recorded a combination of technical, procedural, and conduct-related irregularities, including:
Technical issues at polling stations, particularly involving fingerprint identification devices and delays in accessing voter data. These issues occasionally resulted in long waiting times; in some cases, voters left polling stations before voting due to extended queues.
Election board interference: In approximately a dozen documented cases, members of election administration bodies were observed suggesting or exerting influence on voters’ choices, representing a serious breach of the principle of political neutrality.
Ballot secrecy and election silence violations: Instances of ballot photography and breaches of election silence were recorded, including on social media platforms and in some media outlets.
Voter secrecy breaches and isolated procedural shortcomings, such as improper handling of voting materials or insufficient safeguarding of the secrecy of the vote.
Despite these shortcomings, the overall conduct of election day was not disrupted, and no evidence of systemic fraud or organized manipulation was identified. CIVIL prepared a detailed report with documented cases and recommendations for improvement following the conclusion of the electoral process.
3.2 Outcome Trajectory
Preliminary electoral trends indicated that Ms. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova emerged as the leading candidate, positioning her strongly for victory in the second round. This assessment was consistent with broader evaluations by domestic and international observers. (Contextual analytical note)
4. Parliamentary Elections and Presidential Runoff (8 May 2024)
The parliamentary elections and the second round of the presidential election on 8 May 2024 represented the culmination of North Macedonia’s 2024 electoral cycle, combining heightened political competition with significant administrative and logistical demands.
Conducted simultaneously nationwide, the elections tested the capacity of electoral institutions to manage complexity while safeguarding fundamental democratic standards. CIVIL’s observation focused on election-day procedures, the conduct of election administration bodies, voter experience, and the overall integrity of the process under these conditions.
4.1 General Assessment
The parliamentary elections and the second round of the presidential election were conducted in a generally peaceful and democratic atmosphere. CIVIL’s short-term observation found no major incidents that compromised the fundamental right to vote.
Voters were, in general, able to express their electoral will freely and in accordance with democratic norms and the Electoral Code. The election administration ensured continuity of the voting process despite the logistical complexity of conducting two elections simultaneously. (CIVIL Today)
4.2 Irregularities and Observations
While the overall assessment remained positive, CIVIL documented several qualitative concerns, including:
Election silence violations: Political party activists, public officials, and anonymous social-media accounts engaged in campaigning and political advocacy during legally mandated silence periods, undermining the principle of equal and undisturbed voter choice.
Election board conduct: Instances were observed where election board members appeared insufficiently trained or politically partial, including cases of agitation or inappropriate intervention inside polling stations.
Procedural confusion among voters and boards: Many voters, as well as some election officials, expressed uncertainty regarding voting procedures—particularly in relation to handling multiple ballots for presidential and parliamentary elections. CIVIL received numerous voter inquiries, indicating gaps in civic education and preparatory communication by election authorities.
Isolated incidents of verbal harassment, including an attack on a CIVIL observer. These incidents were formally reported to the State Election Commission and shared with international partners.
Despite these deficiencies, CIVIL concluded that the identified irregularities did not materially affect the integrity, credibility, or final outcomes of the elections.
5. Media, Information Environment, and Political Narratives
While CIVIL’s preliminary reports focused primarily on election-day procedures, broader contextual analysis—including findings by international observers—highlighted key trends in the information environment:
Pluralistic campaign coverage enabled voters to access a wide range of political viewpoints and information.
Negative rhetoric and nationalistic messaging were frequently present, reflecting a polarized political landscape. (oscepa.org)
CIVIL’s long-term monitoring also encompassed disinformation, hate speech, foreign malign influence narratives, political financing practices, and media exposure patterns, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the broader socio-political context in which the elections took place. (CIVIL Today)
6. Foreign and Russian Influence: Hybrid Narratives and Political Alignment
The 2024 electoral process unfolded against a backdrop of heightened foreign influence operations, most notably Russian-aligned narratives and hybrid messaging aimed at undermining democratic trust, Euro-Atlantic orientation, and institutional legitimacy in North Macedonia. CIVIL’s long-term monitoring identified a persistent presence of disinformation, anti-Western framing, and narratives hostile to the EU and NATO, disseminated through political rhetoric, social media ecosystems, fringe media, and coordinated amplification networks. These narratives frequently sought to relativize democratic standards, portray elections as inherently manipulated, and frame Western partnerships as a threat to national sovereignty and national identity.
The political party Levica played a particularly visible role in promoting and normalizing such narratives during the campaign period. CIVIL observed that Levica’s public messaging closely mirrored established Russian propaganda frames, including anti-NATO rhetoric, delegitimization of the EU integration process, justification or relativization of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the promotion of geopolitical “neutrality” narratives aligned with Moscow’s strategic interests. These positions were embedded in a broader communication strategy that exploited social grievances, economic insecurity, and institutional distrust—mechanisms commonly associated with Russian hybrid influence operations across the Western Balkans.
CIVIL’s monitoring further indicates that Russian-aligned narratives were not confined to a single political actor. Elements of such messaging also appeared, to varying degrees, during the campaigns of VMRO-DPMNE, the winning party in the parliamentary elections, and ZNAM (Za nasha Makedonija), a newly formed political party composed largely of former members and officials of the Social Democratic Union (SDSM). In these cases, influence was typically more indirect and selective, manifesting through ambiguity toward Russia’s war against Ukraine, nationalist framing detached from European democratic values, skepticism toward EU conditionality, and the normalization of “both-sides” narratives that blur responsibility for international aggression.
While not all such messaging can be attributed to direct foreign coordination, its convergence with Russian strategic narratives is significant and consequential. The cumulative effect contributed to information pollution, voter confusion, and increased political polarization, weakening democratic resilience and creating a permissive environment for malign external influence. CIVIL assesses that countering these dynamics requires not only improved electoral safeguards, but also systematic counter-disinformation policies, transparency in political communication, strengthened media literacy, and clear political accountability for narratives that undermine democratic and Euro-Atlantic commitments.
7. CIVIL’s Recommendations
Based on its long-term and short-term election observation, CIVIL identified the following priority areas for strengthening future electoral processes and democratic resilience in North Macedonia:
1) Enhanced Civic Education
Election-day observations revealed persistent voter confusion regarding voting procedures, particularly in complex electoral settings involving multiple ballots. CIVIL recommends the development of clear, timely, and accessible public communication campaigns, coordinated by election authorities and supported by civil society, to ensure voters fully understand their rights and obligations.
Such efforts should include plain-language explanations, visual materials, multilingual resources, and early dissemination well before election day. Strengthened civic education would contribute to greater voter confidence, reduced procedural errors, and increased trust in electoral institutions.
2) Neutral and Professional Training of Electoral Officials
The uneven performance and occasional partiality observed among election board members underscore the need for professionalized, standardized, and politically impartial training. CIVIL recommends comprehensive training programs that emphasize procedural accuracy, neutrality, and ethical conduct, accompanied by clear accountability mechanisms.
Training should be mandatory, uniform nationwide, and evaluated for effectiveness, with special attention to scenarios involving simultaneous elections, voter assistance, and the protection of ballot secrecy. Depoliticizing election administration is essential to ensuring both real and perceived electoral integrity.
3) Stronger Enforcement of Election Silence
Widespread violations of election silence, particularly in the digital environment, weaken the principle of equal and undisturbed voter choice. CIVIL recommends strengthened monitoring mechanisms, including improved coordination between election authorities, regulatory bodies, and online platforms.
Legal provisions should be accompanied by clear enforcement procedures and proportionate, dissuasive sanctions, applied consistently and transparently. Addressing election silence violations—especially on social media—requires updated regulatory approaches that reflect the realities of modern campaigning.
4) Technical Preparedness and Contingency Planning
Technical issues related to voter identification devices and election equipment contributed to delays and voter frustration. CIVIL recommends more rigorous pre-election testing, regular maintenance, and comprehensive contingency planning for all election technologies.
Election authorities should ensure the availability of backup procedures and rapid-response technical support at polling stations to prevent disruptions. Technical preparedness is critical not only for efficiency, but also for public confidence in the reliability and credibility of the voting process.
5) Media Regulation and Campaign Finance Transparency
Gaps in media regulation and campaign finance oversight continue to pose risks to equal competition and informed voter choice. CIVIL recommends closing legal and regulatory loopholes to ensure equitable media access, transparent political advertising, and effective oversight of campaign expenditures.
Special attention should be paid to online political advertising, third-party campaigning, and opaque funding channels, which are increasingly used to influence voters. Strengthening transparency and enforcement in this area is essential to safeguarding democratic competition and countering malign influence.
8. Conclusion
The 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections in North Macedonia were conducted in a largely peaceful, democratic, and competitive environment, allowing citizens to exercise their right to vote freely. While operational and procedural shortcomings were identified—particularly in relation to election silence, the conduct of election boards, voter education, and the management of complex election-day procedures—these issues did not undermine the overall integrity of the electoral process nor distort electoral outcomes.
At the same time, the elections took place in a challenging political and information environment, marked by heightened polarization, information disorder, and the presence of foreign-aligned influence narratives. These factors, while not determinative of electoral results, affected the quality of democratic competition and public trust.
Overall, the 2024 elections demonstrated a baseline resilience of democratic institutions in North Macedonia, while simultaneously underscoring the need for targeted reforms, strengthened institutional capacity, and sustained efforts to counter disinformation and hybrid influence. Addressing these challenges is essential to enhancing electoral credibility, reinforcing democratic norms, and ensuring greater public confidence in future electoral processes.
Methodological Note
CIVIL’s comprehensive analytical findings and recommendations were presented through a series of preliminary and consolidated election reports, thematic analyses, and follow-up publications issued after the completion of the electoral process. These outputs were informed by both long-term and short-term observation, including election-day monitoring, incident documentation, and analysis of the media and information environment. Together, they form an integrated body of evidence supporting CIVIL’s ongoing advocacy for electoral integrity, democratic resilience, and institutional accountability in North Macedonia. The report consolidates CIVIL’s observation findings into a single analytical narrative for reference and policy dialogue.
Download report in PDF here.